New Orleans Edges Sundogs

The Orlando Sundogs have spent most of their first A-League season on the edge of disaster, staving off financial ruin and scraping into the playoffs. Now they need another miracle.

New Orleans' forward tandem from Trinidad, Stern Johns and Mickey Trotman, ran the Sundogs ragged in the first half. And their teammates hung on in the second, posting a 2-1 victory against Orlando on Thursday night at the Florida Citrus Bowl.

The best-of-3 series shifts to New Orleans (17-12) for Game 2 at 6 p.m. Sunday.

The Sundogs (12-17) need to win that game and, if necessary, the 30-minute minigame that follows to advance.

They'll have to do it without their best defender, Dylan Lewis, ejected in the 34th minute after receiving his second yellow card. By that time, New Orleans already led, 2-0.

Johns shook off Lewis to score both goals for the Riverboat Gamblers, tallying in the 12th and 23rd minutes. The latter came courtesy of a brilliant setup from Trotman, who beat Orlando's David Mackey along the end line and slid a pass to Johns. He one-timed it into an empty net for his team-high 19th goal.

New Orleans outshot Orlando, 10-3, in the first half and would have had something better than a two-goal lead if not for the Sundogs' 40-year-old goalkeeper, Marco Machado.

Machado stopped two breakaways in the half, finished with eight saves and very nearly was rewarded for his efforts.

Playing with 10 men after Lewis' ejection, the Sundogs still fought back to cut the deficit in half in the second half.

Two former Orlando Lions connected in the 54th minute as Greg Brick took Sheldon Lee's cross from the left side and scored with his head from 8 yards.